T Level DPDD Core Paper 2

The Total harmonic distortion

(THD)

Access rights

Control over which user has access to a digital system, folders, files and data/information.

Accounts payable

Money that is paid out by the organisation.

Accounts receivable

Money that is coming into the organisation.

Active cooling

Using fans to reduce the heat of computer components.

Active matrix

Controls each pixel using capacitors. This enables the pixels to change colour and brightness more rapidly.

Active sensors

Sensors requiring an external signal or a power signal.

Agency worker

A person who has a contract with an agency but works temporarily for someone who hires them.

Analogue sensors

Produce a continuous output signal relating to the quantity being measured.

Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC)

A microchip designed for special applications such as a handheld computer.

Automated teller machine (ATM)

A special computer that allows a bank account holder to manage their account.

Backbone networks

The part of a network that combines different networks into a single complete network. The backbone carries the bulk of the network traffic.

Big data

Very large data sets that can be analysed to produce information such as trends and patterns. Big data cannot be analysed using traditional analysis data tools.

Bottleneck

Limitation of data flow by network resources.

Bus topology

All nodes are connected directly to a central cable that runs up and down the network - this cable is known as the backbone. Data is sent up and down the backbone until it reaches the correct node.

Capital

The money or assets owned by a person or organisation and used as investments to make more money.

Cathode Ray Tube (CRT)

A vacuum tube containing an electron gun at one end and a fluorescent screen at the other end.

Chargeback

A payment amount that is returned to the debit or credit card of a customer after they successfully dispute a transaction or return a purchased item. The chargeback can be initiated by the seller or the customer's bank. Sellers are often charged a fee from the card issuer when a chargeback occurs.

Contingency time

Time built into the schedule for a project which can be used in case of any unforeseen issues, problems or events.

Cyber security

The practice of defending computers, servers, mobile devices, electronic systems, networks and data from malicious attacks.

Dark Net

Networks that are not indexed by search engines. They are only available to a select group of people with authorisation, specific software and configurations.

Data

Raw facts and figures before they have been processed.

Data at rest

Data stored on a digital device or storage medium.

Data cleaning

The process of going through data looking for errors and correcting them, or excluding data where errors have been located.

Data encryption software

Software that is used to encrypt a file or data.

Data in transit

Data being sent to one or more authorised users.

Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS)

A globally recognised telecommunications standard. It supports high-bandwidth data transfer via existing coaxial cable systems that were originally used for the transmission of cable television programme signals (CATVS).

Data packets

Small units of data which are sent and received when accessing the internet or any other type of network.

Data silos

A group of raw data accessible by one department but not available to the other departments within the organisation.

Data sprawl

The vast amounts and variety of data produced by organisations on a daily basis.

Data striping

The technique used to store consecutive segments of data (e.g. a file) on different physical storage devices.

Data subject

The person the data is being held about.

Data transfer protocol (DRP)

The technique used to store consecutive segments of data (e.g. a file) on different physical storage devices.

Data virtualisation

Connects all types of data sources regardless of the file types and locations. The data is then combined, and users can access the combined data through reports, mobile apps, websites, dashboards and portals.

Data visualisation

The graphical representation of data.

DBMS

database management system.

Dependent tasks

Tasks which cannot be started until a previous, specified task has been completed.

Digital sensors

Work with discrete digital data. The digital data is used for conversion and transmission.

Developmental

The development of someone, something or even both.

Distributed denial of service (DDoS)

When a network is flooded with so much traffic that it cannot operate or communicate as required.

Encapsulation

Information is taken from a higher level and a header is added to it, treating the higher layer information as data. The IP packet is then encapsulated into a Layer 2

Ethernet frame.

The frame is then converted into bits at Layer 1 and sent across the local network.

Encryption code/key

A set of characters, a phrase or numbers that are used when encrypting or decrypting data or a file.

End user

A consumer of a product and/or service. This does not only apply to customers/clients but also to employees.

Ethical hacking

An alternative term for penetration testing.

External bus

Also known as an external bus interface (EBI) or expansion bus. It is a type of data bus that enables external devices and components to connect with a computer.

External stakeholders

Groups outside an organisation, for example shareholders.

Facial recognition software

Software that can identify or confirm someone's identity using their face in a photo, video or in real time.

Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)

An integrated hardware circuit that can be programmed to carry out one or more logical operations. Uses include the rear viewing cameras on cars, data analytics, encryption, compression and Artificial Intelligence (e.g. within deep neural networks).

Filter noise

Noise is unwanted electrical or electromagnetic energy that degrades the quality of signals and data. It occurs in digital (and analogue) systems. It can affect files and communications including, text, images, audio and so on. The filter part is finding it and getting rid of it (or at least reducing it).

Firmware

Code, added at the time of manufacturing, written to a hardware device's non-volatile memory. It is the software that allows the hardware to run.

Frequency response

The measurement rate of the highs and lows of the sounds produced by a speaker.

Function keys

Arranged in a row at the top of the keyboard, they are assigned a unique meaning and used for a specific purpose.

Hacker

A person who uses computers to gain unauthorised access to data.

Haptics

Using technology to stimulate the senses of touch and motion to reproduce the sensations that would be felt by someone interacting directly with the physical object.

Hash

A number generated from a string of text.

Hops

Refers to the number of routers that a packet passes through from its source to its destination. A hop can also be counted when a packet passes through other hardware on a network such as switches, access points and repeaters. It is dependent on what role the devices have on the network and their configuration.

Hypervisor

Software that creates and runs virtual machines (VMs). A hypervisor, which is sometimes referred to as a virtual machine monitor (VMM), isolates the hypervisor operating system and resources from the virtual machines. This allows it to create and manage the VMs.

Injection flaws

Allow attackers to relay malicious code through an application to another system.

Internal stakeholders

Groups within an organisation, for example owners and employees.

Internet Protocol (IP)

The string of numbers an ISP assigns a device.

IP spoofing

Changing a packet's source IP address to impersonate another computer system, or to hide the identity of the sender, or both.

Inventory

Consists of finished products and assets owned by an organisation or used by an organisation to carry out production.

Jitter

When there is a time delay in the sending of data packets over a network.

Limited Liability Partnership (LLP)

A company owned by two or more people. Each person pays tax on their share of the profits but is not personally liable for any debts the company cannot pay.

Media Access Control (MAC)

This is a code which is in the device's Network Interface Card (NIC), identifying the physical device.

Middleware

Software which is 'in the middle' of the operating system and the applications working on it. It allows communication and data management for distributed applications by operating as a hidden translation. It is used to link two separate applications together.

Milestones

Specific points during a project used to make sure it is on-track. A milestone has no time allocated and usually occurs at the end of a critical part of the project. It is usually shown as a diamond shape on a Gantt chart.

Mineral oil cooling

Computer components are submerged in mineral oil. Heat generated by the components is transferred to the mineral oil at a better rate than air. The mineral oil dissipates the heat.

Mitigate

If you mitigate against something, you take steps to reduce the likelihood of it happening, or to reduce its impact if it does happen.

Node

A connection point in a network that can receive, send, create or store data. Each node requires some form of identification to receive access, such as an IP address. Examples of nodes are computers, printers, routers and switches.

Operational intelligence

Data analysis that enables decisions and actions to be made in business operations based on real-time data as it is generated and collected. The data analysis process is automated and the results are integrated into operational systems for immediate use by the managerial staff and other relevant employees.

Opt in

Means a person has to take a specific positive step, for example tick a box, send an email or click a button or icon, to say they consent to receiving marketing.

Opt out

Means a person must take a positive step to refuse or unsubscribe from marketing.

Outage

A period when the power, a service or equipment is closed down.

Packet

A small segment of a larger message. Data that is sent over computer networks is divided into packets. The packets are combined by the computer/device that is receiving the message.

Packet loss

When one or more packets fail to reach the intended destination.

Parity

A technique that checks whether any data has been lost or overwritten when it is moved from one storage place to another or transmitted between computers on a system.

Passive cooling

The cooling of computer components by slowing the speed at which the component is operating.

Passive matrix

Uses a grid of vertical and horizontal wires to display an image on the screen. Each pixel is controlled by an intersection of two wires in the grid. When the electrical charge is altered at a given intersection, the colour and brightness of the corresponding pixel can be changed. Passive matrix is relatively simple and inexpensive to produce, but the disadvantage is that the charge of two wires (vertical and horizontal) must be changed in order to change just one pixel. The response time is therefore slow. Fast movement may appear blurry or faded.

Passive sensors

Do not require external power signals and directly generate an output response.

Peer/peering

The arrangement of traffic between Internet Service Providers (ISPs). The large ISPs which have their own backbone networks allow traffic from other large ISPs in exchange for traffic to be allowed on their backbones. In addition, they exchange traffic with the smaller ISPs so that regional end points can be reached.

Performance metrics

The process for the collection, analysis and reporting of information with respect to the performance of a component, system, organisation, department or individual.

Permissions

A list of attributes that determine what a user can do with files and folders, for example read, write, edit or delete.

Platform agnostic

Where software is able to work on all devices and can operate across a variety of operating platforms.

Radio frequency identification (RFID)

Tiny chips that contain information which is transmitted when near a receiver.

Rate latency

The amount of time (delay) it takes to send information from one point to the next.

Read performance

The time taken to open a file from storage.

Redundant/redundancy

Where a system is still able to function regardless of issues that may occur.

Runtime

The length of time a computer program takes to run.

Serial/concurrent tasks

Tasks which can be completed at the same time.

Stakeholder

Anyone with an interest in a business or organisation. Stakeholders can be individuals, groups or other organisations, or businesses that are affected by the organisation's activity. They can include customers, suppliers, employees, communities, government and even the ecosystem.

Stock

Consists of finished products, parts and materials which are sold to customers.

Thin Film Transistor (TFT)

Used in high-quality flat display LCDs. There is a transistor for each pixel on the screen allowing the electrical current that illuminates the display to turn on and off at a faster rate. This makes the display brighter and motion smoother.

Time to live (TTL)

The amount of time or 'hops' that a packet is set to exist inside a network before being discarded by the router. TTL is also used in Content Delivery Network (CDN) caching and Domain Name System (DNS) caching.

Total harmonic distortion (THD)

The amount of distortion created by the signal amplification.

Transformational

Producing a change or improvement in a situation.

Transitional

The transition (movement) from one position, stage, state or concept to another.

Video random access memory (VRAM)

A known as a dual-ported memory. It is an expensive form of RAM which has the capability to perform reads and writes simultaneously. VRAM can also be accessed by two devices at the same time and is commonly used to increase the speed of video cards.